We’ll have a president who cries in public again. Our national nightmare is finally coming to an end.
That’s seriously how the Washington press corps views the transition. Nothing irks reporters more than lacking deference for the sanctity of the town they live in and their sentiment for the precious “norms.” President Trump, of course, had reverence for none of it.
He tweeted without first running his thoughts through six layers of communications staff. He preferred to chat with reporters at random (and at length) rather than make a ceremony out of selecting a very important journalist from somewhere like the New Yorker for an extended interview. Worst of all, Trump never seemed to care about the supposed majesty of government buildings, foreign dignitaries, bureaucrats, or, my God, the news media.
The Washington media’s obsession with itself and the city is most seen in the annual White House Correspondents’ Dinner. Trump sat it out, and what was once an exclusive event is now thankfully obsolete. Or, at least, it was for a few years.
It will be back because we now have a president who loves Washington as much as reporters do.
Shortly before Biden’s inauguration on Wednesday, CNN anchors and talking heads took turns admiring Biden for his deference to Washington norms and customs.
“What he wants to do is just bring things back to normal,” said Abby Philips, by which she meant back to when the media could talk about how important and serious everything they do and see in this town is.
John King was effusive in characterizing Biden as “a big believer in ritual,” because, King said, Biden “believes it’s a big part of how you heal.”
Gloria Borger chimed in to say, “It is the ritual. It’s kind of a refreshing of your mind in a lot of ways.”
Van Jones, indeed very moved by the moment, said, until this day, the country has “been on its knees grieving. It’s been on its knees hurting.” However, now, he said, “It’s going to be on its knees praying with this president.”
It should be clear by now that the Washington media really took it to heart when Biden said he was running for president first and foremost to “restore the soul of America.” These past four years, they really feel that their souls needed personal restoring, and nothing could do that better than electing a president who loves government ritual as much as they do.
CNN’s David Chalian could hardly contain himself on Tuesday, describing the hundreds of little lights set out near the Lincoln Memorial as “almost extensions of Joe Biden’s arms embracing America.”
Lauren Wolfe, an editor at the New York Times, was in complete awe when she witnessed Biden’s arrival in Washington. “Biden landing at Joint Base Andrews now,” she wrote on Twitter. “I have chills.”
There will now be someone in the Oval Office with a deep affection for government, Washington, and the journalists who live here. All is right again.
